Automatic car-coupling.



Patented Dec. 3

INVENTOR imnaymwvonnnnnv, or; PITTSBURGH, rnnlvsvnvnn n, Assistance THEWESTING- 1 iHOU-SE .AI-R isnn-Kncoivmmvv, orwrnmnnniive, nnnivsvtvaniayaconroanrio v 0F RENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CAR-#GOUPLING.

1 Specification 01 Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 3;,fll 918.

Application filed. Septemher 21, 19,17. seriainoriaansc,

To'allwiwm z'tmdy concern: a

'Be t known that l, HARRY F. WOERNLEY,

a vcitizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in 'the countyof Allegheny and State oft Pennsylvania,"haveinvented new and usefullmprovemen'ts 1n Automatlc Car- "Couplings, of which the following is; aspecification,

This invention relates to couplers, and more particularly to*tha:t typehaving means for locking the coupler heads in tightengagement.

inxtheaboivetypeof coupler, a locking device 15, provided and a handoperated leveris employetl to shift the locking device to ilts unlockedposition when it is desired to.un couple the cars.

After-the cars are separated, orbefore the cars are again coupled: up,the locking device should be'shifted to its normal locking or couplingposition, as otherwise the coupling headwill not be locked withthecounterplu't head; whcn 'the cars are brought together.

It sometimes happens that the operator fails'to shift theioehing deviceto 1 its normal coupling position before coupling up and asaconsequenceithe coupler heads will. notice properly lockedltogether. t

'llhe prinipalohjectofmy invention is to provide :improved means forautomatically insuring that the locking device will be initscouplingposition when'the cars are coupled up.

In the accompanying drawing; Figure I is a horizon'tal sectional viewoia coupler head embodying my invention, and showing the parts in thenormal coupling position; Fig. 2a vertical section ofthecoupler head;Fig. 3 a horizontal section of the coupler head, showing the noseportionoia counter-I part head in coupled position and the lock Aboveand belowlthis plane surface are j formed transverse PIOJQCtlOIIs orhooked p013 tions '5 havinginclined surfaces adapted to I t engage andinterlock Wltl lh correspondlng portions on a counterpart coupler head,each head being provided with a pivoted latr h or loikingleverthaving acam surface for engaging correspondingcurved surface on the jprojectingportiont2 of the counterpart coupler head, and a spring Tacting throughthe medium of a rod 8, pivoted to the lever 6, to force theleverintoiits locking position.

Secured to thegrod t'i is afiorked cross head 9 having a central recessoted rollerltl. u

Adjacent (to the roller 7 10 is l a double cam containing alpiv 11,mounted on the jsguared lportion otan operating shaft12 andahantlle l8,mounts/(i l u Thedouble cam 11 consists ottwo diverg a eratingthe shaft12.

hing projec tingfportions with an intermediate 'recessand when theroller 10 restsjin the ,recess, thespring'Z acts on the rod 8 to shiftthe locking lever 6 to its locking position. Upon shifting thehandle 13in either direc- Iso f tion,theroller10 is v-iorced outwardlydoyengagement with the surface of one ofthe pron :jecting portions ofthedoubleucam 11 and i the lockin g lever A 6 tlien shitted to its unlockedposition. j u j f 1 f According to the present invention, there isprovided a toggle leveridevice comprising pin of rod 8 a lever 1 ,6,pivoted lever '14 at one endandworkingion 1a fixed pivot pin fl'i atthe opposite end. The lever] 16 carries a trip projecltiohlS adapted tohe thrown intoithe pathoftheprojectionlfl oii i I the counterpart ouplerhead when the lockinglever is moved to the uncoupling position.

In operation, the coupler heads are locked together in the usual way,the projection 2 of one head engaging in the recess 3 of the other headand when the heads are in the coupled position, the locking levers 6,which were pushed aside as the coupler heads moved intoengagement,arethrown back to locking position, so as to tightly lock the coupler headstogether. u a u If it is desired to uncouple the heads, the handle 13 isshifted to the uncoupling position, so that the locking lever 6of1 eachhead is moved out of engagement with the prey jection 2 of the otherhead and this permits the coupler heads to separate when the cars arepulled apart. The uncoupling movement of the locking lever 6 also shiftsthe toggle levers l4 and 16 so that they assume substantial alinement,as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and in this position of the levers,the rod 8 is locked against return movement.

The tripping projection 18, however, is brought by this movement intothe path of the projection 2 of the counterpart coupler head, so that asthe coupler heads are pulled apart, the projection 2 will engage thememout any action on the part of the operator.

It should also be noted that if, for any reason, the handle is turned tothe uncoupling position while thecar is separated, the parts of thecoupler will be automatically returned to the coupling position when thecounterpart couplersare brought together, since the projection 18 willbe shifted by the movement of the projection 2 into thecorresponding-recess 3 of the counterpart coupler, as in the case ofuncoupling.

Having now described my invention,

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An automatic coupler comprising a member having a projecting hookedportion adapted to engage a similar portion of a counterpart coupler, alocking lever for clamping said members together, a spring tending tomove said lever to ts looking position, a pair of pivotally connectedarms fulcrumed at one free end and pivotally connected to the lever atthe other free end.

movement of the lever to uncoupling position being adapted to move saidarms. so that the connecting joint is brought into alinement with thefulcrum point and the pivotal connection, thereby formin a lock toprevent the return movement of the lever. An automatic couplercomprising a member having a projecting hooked portion adapted to engagea similar portion of a counterpart coupler, a locking lever for clampingsaid members together, a spring tending to move said lever to itslocking position, a pair of pivotally connected arms fulcrumed at onefree end and pivotally connected to the lever at the other free end,movement of the lever to uncoupling position being adapted to more saidarms, so that the connecting joint is brought into alinement with thefulcrum point and the pivotal connection, thereby forming a lock toprevent the return movement of the lever,

and a tripping member carried by said toggle lever device and operatedupon scpara tion of the coupler heads for tripping the toggle leverdevice to permit movement of the locking lever to the normal coupiiirposition.

3. An automatic coupler comprising a member having a projecting hookedportion adapted. to engage a sin'iilar portion of a counterpart coupler,a locking lever for clamping said members together, a spring tending tomove said lever to its locking position, a toggle lever devicecomprising pivotally connected levers adapted to be moved to substantialalinement by the uncoupling movement of the locking lever, to therebyhold the locking lever in its uncoupling position, and a projectioncarried by one of the toggle levers and operated by the separation ofthe coupler heads for throwing the toggle levers out of alinement, so asto permit movement of the locking lever to its coupling position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY F. W'OERNLEX Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 1 Washington, D. C.

